A consonant blend, also known as a consonant cluster, is a group of two or three consonants that are right next to each other and each give their own sound. In other words, each sound is still pronounced separately. For example, the word “spin” has a consonant blend of /s/ and /p/ . Consonant blends can be found at the beginning, middle, or end of words. They are not separated by a vowel. Some common consonant blends include:
- L-Blend: /bl/, /cl/, /fl/, /gl/, /pl/
- R-Blend: /br/, /cr/, /dr/, /fr/, /gr/, /pr/, /tr/
- S-Blend: /sk/, /sl/, /sm/, /sn/, /sp/, /st/, /sw/
Consonant blends are important for beginning readers to learn because they can be tricky to read and spell with accuracy. Teaching blending, rather than blends, can be more effective in phonics instruction.
